Units
Every unit in game belongs to a Race and performs as a Class, with some exceptions. Each unit may gain some promotions. Most promotions give an edge against some other classes or races, like demon-slaying or counter-cavalry promotion, and are reserved to some classes. Each race has some peculiarities: every Elf is able to move rapidly in the groves, in example. A last important category divide living and non-living unit. Most units are normal, living being. But some are mechanical like catapults or ships, and last come the supernatural undead, demon, angel. Unit Classes Units in FFH come in 10 categories. Each one has a relevant line of upgrades and promotions, and may be countered with specific promotion or specialized units. Some units does not belong to any class, like Workers, Settlers, Golems or Skeletons, and as such have limitation. See Units without a Unit Class. Heroes are not a class apart, they are special unit in their respective categories. * Melee - Units like Axemen or Warriors. Most of these units are the bulk of your offensive force. Weapon upgrade capability with Copper, Iron and Mithril. City Raider promotion with Warfare. Countered by Shock promotion. Woodsman and Guardsman promotion. * Archery - Units like Marksmen or Archers. Most of these units have high defense, making them hard to kill, but others have more offensive tactics. City Garrison promotion with Warfare. Countered by Cover promotion available to Melee, Recon and Mounted. Dextrous promotion to Ljosalfar. * Disciple - Units like Priests and Acolytes. The Medic and Command promotions is almost completely exclusive to this class. They also know clerical spells. City Raider promotion with Warfare. Countered by Scourge promotion. * Arcane - Units like Adepts and Mages. This class holds the bulk of Spellcasters, and most are weak. You'll want to escort them. Most of them also gain experience over time, allowing them to learn spells with no need of fighting. Potency promotion for Arcane leaders. Countered by Marksman promotion units that target weakest unit in a stack when attacking: must be escorted by Guardsman units. * Recon - Units like Scouts and Assassins. These units will either excel against the animals of the wild, or be specially trained in killing men. Promotion Flanking to enhance Withdrawal Chance. Woodsman promotion. * Animal - Units like Wolves and Lions. Most are normally unavailable unless captured. City Raider promotion with Warfare. Woodsman promotion. * Beast - Units like Dragons. These units are usually VERY STRONG and uncapturable except by the most skilled of Recon Units. City Raider promotion with Warfare. Woodsman promotion. * Mounted - Units like horsemen. These units combine the offensive power of Melee Units with the speed of Recon Units. On the downside, they cannot fortify for non-healing purposes. Promotion Flanking to enhance Withdrawal Chance. * Naval - Units like galleons. Most are either transports or warships, but don't forget them pesky pirates. An overlooked fact by many people is that any Ship subclass unit of this category is not alive, because it's not really the ship that's alive, it's the ship's crew, which is represented by the ship's ability to change crews. Promotion Flanking to enhance Withdrawal Chance. * Siege Weapons - Units like catapults. A must to take down cities as they bombard defenses. Countered by cavalry units. Promotion like Barrage, Accuracy. * None - Tier 1 units like Workers and Settlers have no class. But also more combactive ones like Golems and Skeletons. Most of these units cannot receive a lot of promotions, and often come through special methods with the exception of the Luirchip, who simply build golems. See Units without a Unit Class. * Heroes - While still part of one of the other categories, these units are limited and have special abilities. Most Heroes retain the strengths and weaknesses of their category. Heroes can abandon you, which means they can be built again, but if they die by the sword, then they're gone for good. Heroic Strength and Heroic Defence promotions. Pay attention to exceptions and counter-intuitive decisions, like the Mounted Archers not being Archery or the Golem troops not being Melee. Promotion and classes restrictions Some basic promotions like Combat, Commando are available to all 10 classes, but units with no class are excluded. Not having is class is a sort of class of his own. A unit without class, such as a Golem, will not have basic promotions, but there will be lack of a specific counter promotion. This sometime is counter-intuitive: a Golem resemble and act as a Melee unit, but it is not, and the Shock promotion (+40% aganist Melee) has no effect on it. Promotion Drill (enhance Fist Strike and Defensive strike) is available to all except Arcane and Animals. Promotion Homeland is granted to all Recon, Melee, Archery, Mounted, Disciple units if leader has Defender trait. Races Every units has a race: human, elf, giant, dragon. Technically, race is defined as a promotion. Some promotion are specific counter to certain races: dragon slayer or demon slayer. See also * Vanilla Civ4 promotion: https://civilization.fandom.com/wiki/Promotion_(Civ4)#Seeing_Promotions * Living units and Non-living units * Unit tiers - complete list of the various tiers of each unit class * Races * Disciple and Arcane Units list * Adept * Archer ::* Dwarven Slinger ::* Javelin Thrower * Archmage ::* Eater of Dreams * Arquebus * Assassin ::* Chanter ::* Devout ::* Ghost ::* Taskmaster * Axeman ::* Moroi ::* Pyre Zombie ::* Swordsman ::* Wood Golem * Beastmaster ::* Myconid ::* Herald * Berserker ::* Balor ::* Brujah ::* Clockwork Golem ::* Seraph * Champion ::* Battlemaster ::* Boarding Party ::* Dragon Slayer ::* Iron Golem ::* Mimic ::* Ogre ::* Sect of Flies ::* Vampire * Chariot * Crossbowman ::* Flurry * Druid ::* Dwarven Druid ::* Luonnotar * Eidolon * Hunter ::* Dwarven Hunter ::* Acrobat ::* Hellhound ::* Lizardman * Horse Archer ::* Centaur Archer ::* Fyrdwell ::* Nyxkin * Horseman ::* Boar Rider ::* Centaur ::* Wolf Rider * Immortal ::* Bone Golem ::* Ogre Warchief ::* Vampire Lord ::* Valkyrie * Knight ::* Bison Rider ::* Centaur Lancer ::* Death Knight ::* Hornguard ::* Repentant Angel * Longbowman ::* Firebow ::* Gargoyle * Marksman * Mage ** Illusionist ** Wizard * Paladin * Phalanx ::* Nullstone Golem ::* Stoneskin Ogre * Ranger ::* Harlequin * Shadow (Unit) ::* Courtesan ::* Dwarven Shadow ::* Angel of Death * War Chariot ::* Ophanim ::* Centaur Charger * Warrior ::* Beastman ::* Bloodpet * Worker ::* Mud Golem ::* Elven Worker ::* Dwarven Worker ::* Goblin Worker * Cannon ::* Dwarven Cannon * Catapult ::* Trebuchet * Arcane Barge * Caravel * Dragonship * Galleon * Galley * Man O' War * Privateer ::* Pirate * Queen of the Line * Trireme * Work Boat * Flagbearer * Freak * Grigori Medic * Lightbringer * Monk * Mercenary * Mounted Mercenary * Royal Guard * Angel * Chaos Marauder * Minotaur * Mobius Witch * Tar Demon * Savant * Ritualist * Profane * Diseased Corpses * Beast of Agares * Nightwatch * Shadowrider * Thane of Kilmorph * Stonewarden * Runekeeper * Soldier of Kilmorph * Paramander * Disciple of Leaves * Priest of Leaves * High Priest of Leaves * Ecclesiastic * Vicar * Luridus * Ratha * Radiant Guard * Acolyte * Confessor * Prior * Demagog * Zealot * Cultist * Speaker * Drown * Stygian Guard * Lunatic * Ira * Host of the Einherjar * Spectre * Imp * Lich * Puppeteer * Frostling * Fawn * Revelers * Satyr * Baby Spider * Bear * Ravenous Werewolf * Blooded Werewolf * Elephant * Giant Spider * Giant Tortoise * Gorilla * Greater Werewolf * Griffon * Lion * Lion Pride * Polar Bear * Sand Lion * Sea Serpent * Tiger * War Tortoise * Wolf * Wolf Pack * Hill Giant * Kraken * Manticore * Pit Beast * War Elephant * Adventurer * Air Elemental * Aurealis * Azer * Djinn * Earth Elemental * Fire Elemental * Fireball * Flesh Golem * Floating Eye * Great Bard * Great Commander * Great Engineer * Great Merchant * Great Prophet * Great Sage * Guarding Vines * Gypsy Wagon * Hawk * Law Bringer * Lightning Elemental * Manes * Mistform * Settler * Shade * Slave ::* Dwarven Slave ::* Elven Slave ::* Orc Slave * Skeleton * Treant * Water Elemental * Wraith * Abashi the Black Dragon * Acheron the Red Dragon * Alazkan the Assassin * Ars Moriendi * Arthendain * Avatar of Wrath * Bambur * Barbatos * Barnaxus * Baron Duin Halfmorn * Basium * Brigit the Shining * Buboes * Chalid Astrakein * Corlindale * Donal Lugh * Drifa the White Dragon * Eurabatres the Gold Dragon * Gaelan * Gibbon Goetia * Gilden Silveric * Govannon * Gurid * Guybrush Threepwood * Hemah * Hyborem * Kithra Kyriel * Leviathan * Loki * Losha Valas * Lucian * Magnadine * Mardero * Margalard * Maros * Mary Morbus * Meshabber of Dis * Muirin * Orthus * Rantine * Rathus Denmora * Rosier the Fallen * Sailor's Dirge * Saverous * Sphener * Stephanos * Teutorix * The Black Wind * The Mithril Golem * The War Machine * Trojan Horse * Valin Phanuel * Wilboman * Yersinia * Yvain